Peacock on Parade by Zoe Chant & Murphy Lawless & C. E. Murphy

Author:Zoe Chant & Murphy Lawless & C. E. Murphy [Chant, Zoe & Lawless, Murphy & Murphy, C. E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2025-02-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

The grounds at Blarney Castle were stunning. Even in winter, with a lot of the greenery gone, they were absolutely beautiful. The castle, which was much more square and blocky than what Tara thought of as a castle, was still impressively tall, maybe a hundred feet, and that was almost the smallest part of the whole place. The castle was settled right on the river, with battlements that still stood along the pathway and, among other things, a sign that pointed, intriguingly, to a 'poison garden.' Apparently there was an arboretum somewhere, and a lake somewhere else, and…

…and Tara decided she resented Colette Snootypants for wanting to steal peacock feathers when Tara could otherwise be enjoying a wonderful day on these magnificent grounds with the charming, handsome, and kind Declan McCarthy.

He had disappeared somewhere while she and Colette walked up toward the castle, which made sense. It would be weird for a peacock to follow them around like it was a pet dog. But he reappeared, back in human form, as they worked their way around the battlements, and offered Tara a smile. "The peafowl were just released from their pen and are all just up a little ways at the lookout tower, if you want to come see them?"

"Peafowl," Tara said with unexpected delight. "Right, you're not—they're not—all peacocks, are they? The females are peahens. I didn't know they were collectively peafowl, though. The poor hens," she added. "They've got pretty throats, but they're just not as magnificent."

Colette steamed off ahead of them, obviously eager to go raid some peacock feathers. Tara and Declan exchanged a glance and moved fast enough to keep the designer in sight, but Declan slid his hand into Tara's as they walked, and she actually said, "We've got to get her dealt with so we can spend the rest of the day enjoying ourselves," aloud. "This place is beautiful. I'd love to see it in summer."

Declan smiled down at her. "That's the best idea I've ever heard. All of it, both enjoying ourselves and showing you the grounds in summer. C'mere to me now, though⁠—"

Tara laughed. "That's at least the third time you've said that when I'm right here."

His eyebrows rose and she could all but see him reviewing what he'd said. "Oh! It's nothing to do with coming closer. It means 'listen.'"

"Does it! Why?"

"I've no idea. Probably something in the Irish that got directly translated into English. We've a lot of that, but I'd never know it until someone asked like you just did. But what did I want you to c'mere for, now?" He stared thoughtfully ahead, keeping an eye on Colette, then shook himself. "Dealing with her, yeh. I texted the lads and a couple of them can be here this morning, and one of them's got a mate in the guards and he'll ring him to have him come pick her up once we've got her dead to rights, if that's what we've got to do. I want to

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